On the Move

“Discovery of the Pacific” by Thom Gunn (1971)

Like the motorcyclists in “On the Move,” the two young lovers in this poem have certainly been on the move, but in their car (not on motorcycles). They have driven from Kansas to the West Coast. Now in California, they look out on the Pacific Ocean at sunset as they lean up against the car. The final image shows them in the water up their chins, embracing and enjoying the lapping of the water. It is an image of stillness rather than motion. Destination and purpose are important in this poem as they are not in “On the Move.” The lovers knew exactly where they were going and got their delightful reward. Gunn said the poem was inspired by the Summer of Love in San Francisco in 1967, which drew young people from all over the country.

“Considering the Snail” by Thom Gunn (1961)

This poem is written in syllabic verse, in which the meter is determined by the number of syllables in each line rather than the number of stresses. Each line in this poem contains seven syllables. At night, a snail slowly moves across the grass.